Deer harvest, what % unreported?

[TboneD]

Much of the above may in fact make a good case for shortening TN's gun season?

It seems TWRA cannot catch but a tiny percentage of the cheaters/poachers.

The one thing that makes it much easier is a closed season.
Anyone with a deer really stands out when the season isn't open.

No, I'm not advocating for a shorter deer season in TN, although would have no problem with it closing a week sooner annually. Just saying, it's easier to notice the poachers when the season is closed.

That's simply undeniable.

Putting on our wildlife officer's green jeans for a moment, I'd think it might at least help a teeny bit in preventing poaching if gunfire other than the crack of a .22 is reported during bow season. Moving on to muzzleloader season, by the same logic I'd want to know if someone was hearing multiple centerfire shots in succession at the crack of dawn or at last light.

 

[Omega]

That's simply undeniable.

Putting on our wildlife officer's green jeans for a moment, I'd think it might at least help a teeny bit in preventing poaching if gunfire other than the crack of a .22 is reported during bow season. Moving on to muzzleloader season, by the same logic I'd want to know if someone was hearing multiple centerfire shots in succession at the crack of dawn or at last light.

Nope, because you will hear gun fire from my place once it warms up a bit. They can certainly come and check, heck they can shoot a few if they want, but it will in no way catch many if any poachers by the sound of gun fire.

Much of the above may in fact make a good case for shortening TN's gun season?

It seems TWRA cannot catch but a tiny percentage of the cheaters/poachers.

The one thing that makes it much easier is a closed season.
Anyone with a deer really stands out when the season isn't open.

No, I'm not advocating for a shorter deer season in TN, although would have no problem with it closing a week sooner annually. Just saying, it's easier to notice the poachers when the season is closed.

I doubt a poacher will have a deer out in the open in a closed season. During hunting season, when I get one I am keeping, it's all in a cooler by the time I hit the road home. They would be more successful by investigating the reports from sportsmen and landowners that suspect poaching activities, on and off season.

 

[deerhunter10]

I want to see the depredation permit data as well. I find this practice very concerning. I firmly believe there are other ways around this for the farmers. More complicated, but more fair to hunters.

Nothing at all good to say about depredation tags, there's a lot of deer killed every year that aren't causing issues or very little issues. I know farmers that literally try to kill every deer they see.

 

[Ski]

That's simply undeniable.

Putting on our wildlife officer's green jeans for a moment, I'd think it might at least help a teeny bit in preventing poaching if gunfire other than the crack of a .22 is reported during bow season. Moving on to muzzleloader season, by the same logic I'd want to know if someone was hearing multiple centerfire shots in succession at the crack of dawn or at last light.

Unfortunately it seems too many hunters feel disenfranchised by TWRA. People don't call in because they either nobody answers the phone or else nothing ever comes of it. Strict enforcement of the rules we already have with heavy penalties would probably work wonders in enhancing the hunting experience of law abiding, honest hunters. Otherwise creating more rules does nothing but keeping a bureaucrat employed.

 

[Flintlocksforme]

I bet the amount harvested and unreported pales in comparison to the amount unrecovered.

That's a fact, look how many are recovered with tracking dogs. Not all would pay for that, or have access to any tracking dogs, don't see many tracking dog pictures with does. Unit L devalued antler-less deer in my opinion. If they don't fall in sight and you know that the limit is three . Stay in the tree and keep reloading. Me personally I hate to lose any game animals and put in a great effort to recover them. Biggest antler-less I ever shot I thought that I missed it completely, running in waist to head high cover. I accidentally found his skull turkey hunting 100 yards in the direction I didn't look as I convinced myself it was a clean miss.

 

[TheLBLman]

Strict enforcement of the rules we already have with heavy penalties would probably work wonders in enhancing the hunting experience of law abiding, honest hunters. Otherwise creating more rules does nothing but keeping a bureaucrat employed.

Truer words have never been spoken.

I bet the amount harvested and unreported pales in comparison to the amount unrecovered.

I very sadly suspect you are correct.

I'm amazed at how many hunters shoot at a deer, the deer runs off, and the hunter doesn't even go look for signs of a hit.

"Musta missed."
Why do you think that?
"Well, the deer took off running when I shot."

Many hunters stupidly think that a deer that runs off isn't mortally wounded,
therefore make little to no effort to find that deer.

 

[Flintlocksforme]

The number of deer not checked and deer taken illegally probably runs close to 25-30%. It's not just road hunting, baiting, and spot lighting. You also have to consider unqualified landowners, opportunists, and even cheating on the juvenile hunts.

I asked a taxidermist once what percentage of the bucks he mounted were taken illegally? He said , "honestly a lot". He didn't ask, his paperwork was checked a couple times a year and he never took anything without a tag. Figured that many of the bucks he mounted were the biggest ones that people had ever seen in their lives. They dream of a grip and grin picture to share on social media. Now considering nearly 100 days of buck season. Big ones in Tennessee have a long gauntlet to run day and night. Many carry rifles in their trucks year round in Tennessee. Most have rifles in their homes. A lot of opportunities to get shot.

 

[EastTNHunter]

Much of the above may in fact make a good case for shortening TN's gun season?

It seems TWRA cannot catch but a tiny percentage of the cheaters/poachers.

The one thing that makes it much easier is a closed season.
Anyone with a deer really stands out when the season isn't open.

No, I'm not advocating for a shorter deer season in TN, although would have no problem with it closing a week sooner annually. Just saying, it's easier to notice the poachers when the season is closed.

I'm afraid that the potentially shortened season could have two psychological effects that have significant negative impact to the herd:

1- Scarcity mentality of having a shortened season and the drive to "get it done" being heightened due to more hunters being in the woods over a shorter timeframe. Also, shortened season with a higher hunter numbers in the woods like done northern seasons can be an absolute clown show and lead to lower hunter satisfaction.

2- Hunters being less selective in harvests because they do not have as much time to hunt and being happy with "just any buck," which could potentially undo much of the positive momentum gained in voluntary hunter selectivity over the past decade-plus

I can tell you for absolute fact that my mentality about hunting would change if the season was shortened. I truly believe that the longer season allows hunters (myself included) to spread out their available days in the woods and have a clearer mind about their hunts and harvests, including more patience and selectivity. I didn't harvest a single buck this season, but have no regrets since I was able to be more laid back in the woods and just enjoy nature.

 

[TboneD]

Nope, because you will hear gun fire from my place once it warms up a bit. They can certainly come and check, heck they can shoot a few if they want, but it will in no way catch many if any poachers by the sound of gun fire.

I wouldn't think most folks do much shooting at dawn as I specified, but if they start early or shoot at dusk I'd think their neighbors would be used to it and wouldn't report it as out of the ordinary.

 

[TboneD]

Unfortunately it seems too many hunters feel disenfranchised by TWRA. People don't call in because they either nobody answers the phone or else nothing ever comes of it. Strict enforcement of the rules we already have with heavy penalties would probably work wonders in enhancing the hunting experience of law abiding, honest hunters. Otherwise creating more rules does nothing but keeping a bureaucrat employed.

I get that, but I wonder how many should maybe put a little more confidence in them. You can check my posts to see that I've been QUITE critical of both the TWRA as well as the commission in the past. Won't go into why now but I've reported violators on two occasions and both times our local TWRA officer promptly responded. Recently, I felt bad for basically sending him on a wild goose chase because he didn't read a rather long text I sent him quite close enough. I was just trying to give him a heads up on possible baiting after talking with a guy who didn't report it last season, in the very same spot our previous officer had to deal with a few years ago. And as an aside I just got a courteous reply to an email I sent our commissioner last week.

Anyhow, like LBL Man, I'm not really for shortening gun season (if they don't add days to it by changing the weaponry from what's specified now.) I was just thinking of the gunfire of daylight poaching "blending in" with gun hunters during gun season unlike archery or muzzleloader.

 

[killingtime 41]

how many on private kill a buck and call it crop damage. In my area it's probably 25 percent. Maybe higher

 

[Biggun4214]

As far as depredation permit deer I can say there were way less than 50 killed in Jefferson county between 1984-2019.

Opening day of gun season in 1982 myself and another officer checked on around 20 illegally killed deer. He wouldn't give the deer to the person that called. He said that there was a very good chance the person that found the deer also killed it. That weekend I worked 40 hours from 4pm on Friday until about 8pm on Saturday. Opening weekend was a really big deal.

 

[WTNBowHunter]

They know, and account for it. That's my guess.

I bet you're right. TWRA probably has a percentage tied to this that correlates with licenses sold that aren't buying WMA permits along with the license.

 

[ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER]

I'd say atleast 20% in Franklin County. No way to catch these poachers over here. It doesn't take long to run the numbers up when people kill 5-6 bucks during the season.

Do you feel that they are not reported or another family member checks them in

 

[Deer Assassin]

Pretty low percentage go unchecked I would think,2 percent I would think would be a stretch.Most hunters I know are pretty honest.Tag before you drag,you are supposed to tag as soon as you get to deer either on your phone or place the paper tag on deer.Taking a great risk on not checking in a deer

Ditto

I know people never check in a deer when you had to drive to a check in station
But the mobile app is easy and they use it

Crooked people will be crooked
No law will change that

 

[Mcboom]

I'd say this is spot on.

The ckin method is fine, I don't know how many deer I have cked in and nobody stepped out of the door to look at it, folks that own property and never have to leave it would be more prone to shoot, process and enjoy deer meat they raised all year without taking it somewhere to get a tag punched, they maybe more likely to hit the app and report it rather than ride to town

 

[AT Hiker]

I wouldn't think most folks do much shooting at dawn as I specified, but if they start early or shoot at dusk I'd think their neighbors would be used to it and wouldn't report it as out of the ordinary.

It is pretty obvious, in most situations, the difference between someone target shooting and blasting a deer. Can I tell of the time, no. However, sitting in a tree at sun up when you hear a gun shot or two, I am willing to bet you someone is not target shooting.

On the flip side, I am totally amazed at the amount of people that target shoot at dusk.

 

[TboneD]

It is pretty obvious, in most situations, the difference between someone target shooting and blasting a deer. Can I tell of the time, no. However, sitting in a tree at sun up when you hear a gun shot or two, I am willing to bet you someone is not target shooting.

On the flip side, I am totally amazed at the amount of people that target shoot at dusk.

That was my thinking. As for shooting at dusk, although I'm typically helping with supper or grilling something I can 100% understand why folks would want to shoot something after a long day at work.

 

[TheLBLman]

On the flip side, I am totally amazed at the amount of people that target shoot at dusk.

At both dusk & dawn.
However, there is a logical (non-poaching) reason why some people shoot at dusk & dawn, as this is typically the time of day with the least wind.

When I'm fine tuning the sighting in of a rifle, I typically do it at dawn (and outside deer season).
But, rarely, would there just be a single shot.

 

[Wrangler95]

More than likely these law breakers that dont check their deer in are probably some of the ones who trespass,steal your trail cameras and treestands!There are criminals in every walk of life and seems to be getting worse each year!